Homeowners who schedule and host a house party will receive an energy audit for FREE and all of the guests of the house party will be able to get an energy audit for only $99! Energy Audits typically are around $400! And for any homeowner that is looking to take advantage of Focus on Energy rebates – an Energy Audit is the first step. Offer good until the end of the end of the year.
 
Invite friends, family, and neighbors to your home, and a local energy expert will use your house to demonstrate efficiency concepts and conduct a simple energy assessment.
 
An energy assessment is a great way to get to know your house, no matter its age. An energy expert will help you understand exactly how your home is saving or losing energy. Often, these assessments cost you money. When you host a house party, it’s free!
 
Spread the word on savings: At the end of your house party, your guests will be invited to schedule an energy assessment of their own home or to sign up to host their own house parties. So, you’re not only getting to know your own house, but you’re connecting your friends and neighbors to resources they can use to improve their own homes and lower their energy bills.
 
This initiative lasts through the end of December. Contact Jen Rubin at jen.rubin@greenmadison.org to learn more about scheduling a house party or scheduling a reduced priced energy audit.

·         GreenMadison - http://greenmadison.org
·         What happens in an energy audit: http://greenmadison.org/inside-an-energy-assessment
·         Focus on Energy - https://www.focusonenergy.com/residential
·         Video of house parties: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e28MedWFJNw
Capitol Times article of house parties:  http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/around-town-madison-greening-it-up-in-hopes-of-m/article_d59d4462-8734-5fbf-b983-dcd1cd93faa8.html
 
Contacts: 
·         Jen Rubin, jen.rubin@greenmadison.org

COTTAGE GROVE ROAD CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 | 11-11:30am

204 Cottage Grove Road
(park in the lot by Pinney Library)

It's almost done! And we're ready to start grooving! Join us for a ribbon cutting celebration for the completion of the 2016 Cottage Grove Road construction project. Utilities have been buried, bike lanes have been added, new asphalt has been laid and all of the underground utilities and water/sewer mains have been updated. The corridor looks phenomenal and existing businesses are ready to get back to business as usual and new businesses are welcome to move in.

We'll hear from District 15 Alder, David Ahrens, District 16 Alder, Denise DeMarb, City of Madison staff and some businesses located in the corridor. Refreshments will be provided. #grooveonCGR

The City of Madison Parks Division is once again about to embark on the annual public input meeting process for the playground replacement projects budgeted for 2017.
  
This public process includes a regional playground workshop specific to playground replacement projects at Brigham, Lake Edge, McGinnis and Tenney Park.  The workshop will include a larger group discussion, providing opportunity for neighborhoods to learn and share ideas, then will break out into smaller individually staffed sessions to address design considerations specific to each park.  Following the workshop, staff will use input gathered at this meeting to develop two playground concepts, which will be presented at a second playground meeting held this winter.  The new playground equipment will be installed in 2017.
 
Please feel free to bring children to help provide input on the playground!
 
PLAYGROUND WORKSHOP
6:00 pm, Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Whitehorse Middle School - Library Media Center
218 Schenk Street
 
All questions and comments regarding this workshop should be directed to Sarah Lerner, Landscape Architect, at slerner@cityofmadison.com or (608) 261-4281.
 
If the community wishes to fundraise to expand the playground budget, we ask that the community provides anticipated fundraising goals by December 1, 2016 to Sarah Lerner so that the design concepts can be developed accordingly.  More information on fundraising opportunities will be available at the meeting and also on-line.
 
For additional updates on park projects and fundraising, please visit:
https://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/projects/lake-edge-park-playground-replacement-contract-2017-playground-replacements-group-3
 

We live in a compassionate, caring community.  It’s core to our quality of life and helps make our neighborhoods the very best they can be.

Homelessness is a real challenge facing too many families not only here, but in growing communities across the country.  What makes us unique is the way we are coming together to make a real difference for our neighbors.

With a site now secured, we are working diligently with the City, United Way, Catholic Charities and others to develop a new Day Resource Center to help individuals who fall on hard times get back on their feet and find employment.  This new one-stop-shop is slated to open next summer once remodeling is complete.

In addition to connecting those who are homeless with the vast array of services our community offers, it’s important we continually focus on what can be done to prevent homelessness before it occurs.
Too often families working hard to support their loved ones come upon a car repair or other significant expense making it hard to pay rent.  That’s why I created the “Eviction Prevention Program” through Dane County Joining Forces for Families – to stabilize living situations for families with children.  We are on track to help 200 families and 400 kids this year.  Given demand, I am doubling the dollars for this effort to $100,000. 

Working with the Salvation Army, the County is providing nearly $1 million for emergency shelter and to support a new expanded “Rapid Re-Housing” initiative to secure permanent housing for dozens of individuals.  Once housing is found, “Rapid-Re-Housing,” empowers homeless individuals with the training and skills to stay in those residences.

That’s why I’m putting more county dollars into case managers for the coming year, people who can work directly with those with housing challenges to get them into and keep them in affordable housing.
Together, we are making a real difference.

Imagine a beautiful Saturday summer evening with a light breeze off Lake Monona, a view of downtown, a cold beer in your hand, and gemütlichkeit all around. That vision for a German-style biergarten is what I presented along with two business partners to the City of Madison’s request for proposals for “park place-making concepts” at Olbrich Park’s underutilized Beach House.

We are excited that the City chose our biergarten idea alongside Rutabaga Paddlesports to provide water sport and other recreational rental opportunities.

Biergartens in public places were ubiquitous in America before prohibition, and are now making a return. In 2012, Milwaukee County contracted with a vendor to operate a biergarten at Estabrook Park. After its initial success, the operation expanded, and Milwaukee County now has five fixed biergartens in its parks. The significant revenue has been a boon for taxpayers and the biergartens are places for the public to enjoy their parks. The parks surrounding the biergartens have also seen significant investment and growth, including new playground sets, and sports and recreation facilities.

For more than eight decades (since 1933), beer has been served at the University of Wisconsin’s Memorial Union Terrace. Memories made at the Terrace are shared by generations of Madisonians. The Olbrich Biergarten will shape similar memories and provide a public place for responsible enjoyment of a beer or glass of wine in a setting that is a rarely used treasure.

During your visit to the Olbrich Biergarten, you could buy beer, wine, cider, sports drinks, root beer, water, soft pretzels, bratwurst, kid-friendly and healthy treats, water, sports drinks and root beer. You could also bring your own food and drink (though local ordinance prohibits outside alcohol), along with flowers for the centerpiece. The biergarten would be open seasonally from May to October depending on weather, seven days a week, 4pm to 10pm on weekdays and noon to 10pm on weekends. Last cal would be at 9:30pm. Closing at 10pm is consistent with current park hours.

Today, Olbrich Park receives a lot of use, but the Beach House has fallen into some disrepair. On a visit in early June, the building had been tagged in at least three places with graffiti. The safety and cleanliness of the bathrooms is also suspect. Additionally, Olbrich Park has had its fair share of problems with alcohol consumption. Our proposal is for an atmosphere in which responsible consumption occurs, monitored by staff, which would be safe and open to families. Capital investments to the building, on-site staff, a security system, and a bustling biergarten will certainly help create a place that is safe for enjoyment by all park users.

We would want the space to feel like a slice of Germany. We would beautify and upgrade the building, grounds and restrooms. Strings of small globe lights would illuminate the beer garden’s picnic tables along the shore. We would not disturb the shoreline, but would ask the City’s help in cleaning up invasive overgrowth in compliance with local, state or federal shore land protections. We would also install new bike racks.

We hope you will support our vision as we begin the process of obtaining the necessary permits and licenses to make the Olbrich Biergarten a reality. We will be holding a formal informational session from 6pm to 7pm on October 27th at the Olbrich Park Beach House. In the meantime, please contact me with any suggestions or concerns at mike.bare83@gmail.com or by phone at (608) 620-3001.
           
Mike Bare is a co-owner of BKM Group, LLC, which has begun contract negotiations with the City of Madison to open a biergarten at Olbrich Park in Madison, WI.

Lake Edge was recently featured in the Wisconsin State Journal in the Take a tour of Madison's neighborhood series.  Read the article here

The City of Madison Parks Division is once again about to embark on the annual public input process for the playground replacement projects that are included in the 2017 parks capital budget submission.  The Parks Division will hold a playground workshop focusing on several playgrounds at one time to provide the opportunity for neighborhoods to learn and share ideas with each other.  While the capital budget is not yet finalized, we anticipate that this workshop will address playground replacement projects at Brigham Park, Lake Edge Park, McGinnis Park and Tenney Park (additional parks identified for 2017 playground improvements will be included in separate workshops previously scheduled).  

The workshop will include a larger group presentation and discussion, then will break out into smaller sessions with staff to address design considerations related to the specific park's playground.  Following the workshop, staff will schedule a separate playground meeting to finalize the playground design.
The first workshop is scheduled for November 17th, 2016 at 6:30 pm at Schenk Elementary School located at 230 Schenk Street.  Attached is the map identifying the proposed mailing areas for the meeting notices (yellow line) related to Lake Edge.  Generally postcards are sent to addresses within ¼ mile of a neighborhood park project (cyan dashed line).  The postcards will be mailed approximately 10 days prior to the workshop, and notice of the workshop will be identified on our website and various social media outlets, a sign will be posted at the park about the meeting, and information will also be issued as a news release. 

All neighborhood residents are invited to attend.  Please stay tuned for updates on our Facebook group and LENA emails.